Pesalink, Kenya’s interbank money transfer platform, is linking its network with Cellulant, a pan-African fintech, through Tingg, its digital payments platform for businesses. The link will make it easier for online merchants to accept high-value customer-to-business (C2B) payments.
The alliance immediately expands Pesalink’s reach into the digital commerce sector by providing merchants direct access to millions of bank customers while addressing critical reconciliation and delay friction points in digital transactions.
It is a decisive strategic manoeuvre by Pesalink to capture a larger share of Kenya’s digital commerce market, an area historically dominated by mobile money ecosystems. Pesalink is also positioning itself as the preferred, high-value infrastructure for real-time transactions by taking advantage of Cellulant’s established merchant base.
Under the new arrangement, consumers purchasing from Cellulant merchants can make instant payments up to KES 999,999 ($7,700) per transaction directly from their bank accounts. This high cap exceeds the typical mobile money limit of KES 500,000 ($3,900), positioning the partnership to capture larger commerce volumes.
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A core benefit for businesses is improved operational efficiency because every payment carries a reliable reference number for instant reconciliation and faster settlement. The service is already live for businesses in the airline and travel sectors.
This renewed strategic focus signals the banking sector’s intent to reinforce its existing infrastructure. The strategy counters earlier proposals from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to build an entirely new fast payment system, a plan opposed by banks who favour upgrading the existing Pesalink system.
Pesalink has previously faced limitations integrating with mobile money wallets, a structural weakness it is actively addressing through recent partnerships, including a focus on enhancing bulk payments for small enterprises. It recently extended this integration with M-PESA and TendePay.
Kenya’s digital payments market is projected to reach $9.36 billion by 2025, according to industry estimates. The tie-up positions Pesalink and Cellulant to compete for a larger slice of those flows, especially in high-value segments where banks see an edge over mobile money.
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